We. The Revolution Review

We. The Revolution is a simulation game that puts you in the shoes of a Revolutionary Tribunal judge. France is in turmoil and you are pulled between the interests of the common people, the bourgeoisie and a burgeoning rebellion. It’s up to you whether you side with personal interests or Justice–and coincidentally whether or not you keep your head.

The base gameplay loop of We. The Revolution is as follows: in the courtroom, you’re tasked with reviewing relevant documents and questioning the accused. The controls are responsive and you’ll do realistic things like shuffling through papers and rearranging your desk. In order to question the witness, you have to utilize your sleuthing brain and combo relevant elements from the document(s) you read with relevant categories. You’re able to make a set number of mistakes before being locked out of trying combinations, so it pays to pay attention. Different questions can steer the jury’s judgement towards a verdict, as denoted by the icon next to it, and as such you can pick and choose what you ask in order to get the outcome that most benefits your own interests.

On paper that all seems great, but We. The Revolution quickly becomes a tenuous balancing act between interested parties. Gaining the favour of, say, your judicial pals can have negative effects on your familial bonds and vice versa. We. The Revolution takes to heart the phrase, “you can’t please everyone” and begins to feel roguelike in nature with the way you keep getting beat down for your indiscretions.

The gameplay loop also leaves a lot to be desired. Phoenix Wright, for example, has you locating clues yourself and learning more about the case and its contenders in a more hands-on way, breaking up the courtroom tedium. We. The Revolution offers no such recourse. Between courtroom scenes, you’re able to make decisions as to how you want to spend your time, but that decision also has the possibility of locking you out of making other decisions that you may want to pursue.

We. The Revolution’s art style is definitely unique. It’s as if revolutionary classics are lifted straight off the canvases and into the game. The subdued colors and tones almost feel like a painting come to life and the developer even commented that the colors and overall style did originate from the famous painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David.  The art plays a pivotal role in the ambience of the game coupled with real world inspirations as the backdrop, re-imagined in Polyslash’s style. Cut scenes are fully voice acted, which was also a nice touch.

I can’t quite put my finger on a type of player to which We. The Revolution would appeal. There’s a lot of good things here that are overshadowed by lacklustre mechanics and design choices. For the asking price, it’s worth giving We. The Revolution a chance, but only if you’re the type to invest a lot of time and effort into a game. For those looking for a more streamlined experience, the plodding pace and text-reliant gameplay may be a turn-off.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Nintendo Switch code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.